Task 1
The relevant theory of communications consists of sixteen theories relating to the various ways people communicate. Of these sixteen there are five that apply to Mary Slater and her situation.
The first theory is known as constructivism. The following quote best describes this theory,” constructivism is a cognitive theory of human communication that describes how human perception influences the skillful production and interpretation of a variety of social influence messages” (Delia, O'Keefe, & O'Keefe, 1982). As Mary’s dementia worsens she may find it harder to differentiate between things and will struggle to concentrate and understand things making it harder …show more content…
To help support Mary and her husband with their communication I would recommend a speech therapist. A speech and language therapist would support Mary with different techniques which can slow down her speech deterioration and help to reduce her impairment.
There is evidence that interventions, including communication groups, altering the environment and methods of stimulation and support provided by speech and language therapists are effective in reducing decline and improving quality of life.
(www.rcslt.org)
As Mary’s carer I would ensure that together with her husband she could venture out in the community to support groups and other activities. This kind of social interaction with people suffering with the same ailment as Mary would increase her confidence and help to improve her speech. It would also be beneficial to Mary’s husband to meet other carers and partners of dementia sufferers who are going through the same daily tasks and struggles so that he too feels supported and in turn this would help to develop his language skills and improve his communication also.
Task 2
As Mary’s husband Bill is a devout Jew, careful steps must be taken to ensure that any communication strategies do not compromise his or his wife’s beliefs and that any care given to either coincides with their cultural views.
A part of the Jewish culture is being able to